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Vincent Stark
Vincent Stark is the protagonist of the Black Mesa machinima series Stark's Mind, a spin-off of the popular machinima series Freeman's Mind. In a reality near-identical to the one seen in Freeman's Mind, Stark occupies the role of Dr. Gordon Freeman on the day of the Black Mesa Incident, resulting in him travelling through various sections of the Black Mesa Research Facility in order to put an end to the invasion. Profile Appearance Stark is a young Asian-American male of average height and build who bears a keen resemblance to Gordon Freeman, albeit with jet-black hair, dark-brown eyes, and a goatee that separates around the lip. His hair is well-kept and parted to the right, with a few locks of hair hanging on the left. During the events of Stark's Mind, however, Stark's hair is disheveled and dirty, though this is due to the large amounts of physical labour Stark has to endure. Personality Stark is representative of the everyman: an ordinary individual pit against extraordinary circumstances that far outpace them. Personality-wise, Stark is an amicable, well-intentioned individual with a conscience that drives him to do what is right by whatever means necessary. On top of that, Stark is both stubborn and tenacious, as even after his life is threatened numerous times over the course of the series, he still continues onward despite knowing full well that he could die at any moment. This is best demonstrated when Stark is told by surviving personnel that the Lambda Team are the only remaining personnel capable of putting an end to the invasion. After learning this, Stark immediately sets out to locate them, even going as far as to accomplish additional tasks such as launching a satellite rocket into orbit for them. Stark undergoes extreme psychological stress during the events of the series, which culminates in him passing out due to sheer exhaustion and stress at the end of Episode 26. Following the resonance cascade, Stark is heavily disoriented, unable to cope with the countless dead personnel around him. As a result, Stark develops a case of survivor's guilt, blaming himself for the accident as he should not have been at the facility in the first place. Ironically, this guilt is what pushes him into the position of de facto leader, as Stark willingly places himself in harm's way in order to do whatever it takes to save lives and bring an end to the invasion of the facility. This is further elaborated upon in Episode 30, where it is revealed that Stark's attempts at 'playing the hero' are really him attempting to find meaning and justification in his own survival, as the situation continues to remind him of his involvement with the accident. Biography Early Years and Harvard Stark was born in the year 1985 to Swedish-American accountant Adam Stark, and his wife Kana Stark, a Japanese immigrant. Raised in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, a young Stark displays an affinity towards more academic-oriented subjects such as mathematical game theory, Newtonian physics, and modern physics. By the age of 15, Stark proves himself to be a prodigy by way of getting accepted into the prestigious Harvard University. Stark stays with a relative in Massachusetts during his time at university, visiting his parents when possible. At Harvard, Stark begins studying quantum mechanics and its various applications, later writing a dissertation on Quantum Electrodynamics and special relativity. During his time at the university, Stark attends a panel hosted by Harvard alumnus Dr. Eli Vance. After the panel, he has a brief yet meaningful conversation with the doctor, who sees potential within the young Stark, believing he would make a valuable addition to the Black Mesa staff. Stark graduates from Harvard at the age of 19 with a master's in Physics, and is quickly brought on board the Black Mesa Science Team at the suggestion of Eli Vance. Initially apprehensive about his recruitment as employment would lead to him living farther away from his parents, Stark decides to take the opportunity, in the hopes that he would contribute to the future and betterment of humanity. Black Mesa Intervening Years The Black Mesa Incident Main article: Stark's Mind Relationships Gordon Freeman In the timeline of Stark's Mind, Gordon Freeman bribed Stark into standing in for him on the week of the Black Mesa Incident. Stark resents Freeman for this, all the more when he finds himself trapped inside the facility having to fight off various aliens. Initially planning to reveal his identity to the survivors of the resonance cascade, it is the intervention of the US government (who plan to silence all parties connected to the resonance cascade) and their subsequent focus on "Gordon Freeman" that causes him to remain quiet about his identity. Felix Freeman When passing through the office complex, Vincent observed that he was in the area Felix worked in. His tone suggested he knew Felix fairly well and they were on good terms. Gallery Official Artwork 2b_-_Stark_(young)_(beard).png|Stark during his tenure at Black Mesa. 3d_-_Stark_(Stark's_Mind).png|Stark during the events of Stark's Mind. Category:Mind Series Character Category:Stark's Mind Category:Protagonists Category:Black Mesa Category:Anion